Searching for Amy Eskuchen

NOVEMBER 2, 2018 All funds collected will go directly to the expenses incurred for Amy's recovery. Any remaining funds will go towards a scholarship in Amy's name. THE REASON The equipment needed for the search is extremely costly to rent. Amy's family has rented a helicopter and will continue to do so as needed to supplement the searches the authorities are making for as long as they can until Amy is found. However, at $450/hour this is a huge financial burden, one that no one ever would have planned for. Daily searches have been conducted by family and friends.  As it is unknown how long it will take for Amy to appear or where that will be there is a need for additional help to supplement the searches that the authorities are making.  The family has planned a more organized search this Saturday and Sunday. We are in the process of helping Amy's family secure help via boat, helicopter and/or drone. If you have access to any of these and are available please let us know. Any help would be greatly appreciated. There are paths to walk along each side of the Canal. Using binoculars is recommended. The D&C Canal is a man made, rock lined shipping canal between the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay, 50 feet deep at the center, 35 feet deep along the edges. The bridge is approx 5 miles from the Delaware River. There is a nearby public boat ramp. Many, many people have asked how they can help financially since they are unable to physically help in the search. I am sharing this with the hope that the family will have the assistance they need to find Amy and gain closure.  Those of you who know me and/or Amy know that she was a dear friend of my daughter's and like another daughter to me. AMY'S STORY It's an old cliche, but it fits. To know Amy was to love Amy.  Happy, bubbly, always smiling and laughing, full of life, willing to help a friend or a stranger is how everyone describes Amy. Since she was little, Amy was always a polite, warm, caring and loving sweet girl with an empathetic nature. She was very bright and loved to keep herself balanced by getting involved in yoga, rock climbing, camping, hiking  and doing just about anything in the outdoors. She loved volunteering and becoming involved in group activities as well as spending valuable one-on-one time with her family and friends. In high school Amy was extremely active.  She was in the top of her class. She completed many AP classes and was a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Physics Olympics, the Debate Club and the Future Educators of America.  She played volleyball and was a member of the drama and art clubs. She was very active on the Homecoming Committee and always had the most creative posters. She was involved in Interact, a service organization, and was a founding member of the FOR Club - Friends of Rachel, which is a group that encourages random acts of kindness within the school. She was adored by her teachers and advisors. Outside of school she was very active in the rock climbing community and was a member at Elite Climbing and also did work with Habitat for Humanity. Amy went on to attend Widener University as a psychology major and was currently in her final year of the PT graduate program with a 3.92 GPA. Through her graduate work she had spear headed a program for the elderly that would provide a well rounded approach to health care, encompassing both the mental and physical aspects for the geriatric patients. A fantastic article at Widener was written about her efforts just this past June, in which the program was detailed and credited Amy with not only initiating the program, but setting it up so that future classes could keep it going. She was quoted as saying how important it is to address both the mental and physical health of patients in order to provide adequate care. In August Amy volunteered for a month at a hospital in Mexico in the physical therapy department. Also this past summer, Amy participated in the Philadelphia Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk, an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention event whose mission statement is to change the conversation about mental health and put a stop to this tragic loss of life. Within this last month Amy seemed to be reaching out for help herself. Help was provided but sadly it was not enough to save her. Our sweet Amy took her own life last Friday at the William Roth Bridge on Route 1 in Delaware and has yet to be found.  Daily searches of some sort will continue until Amy comes home. Thank you for the outpouring of love, support and prayers.